BAIRNS manager Steven Pressley was delighted to rescue a point against Raith Rovers with an injury-time equaliser

STEVEN PRESSLEY admits Falkirk had a bit of a Scottish Cup hangover after Stewart Murdoch’s injury-time header rescued them a point.

The Bairns defender nodded in Thomas Grant’s corner two minutes into time added on.

Rovers had grabbed the opener on 29 minutes when full-back
Jason Thomson burst down the right flank and drilled in a low cross for
Brian Graham to knock home from a couple of yards.

Falkirk went into the game boosted by
booking their Cup semi-final date with Hibs after dumping First Division rivals Hamilton on Saturday.

And Pressley said: “We didn’t get a rhythm to our game in the first half and looked a little bit subdued and hungover from the cup game.

“But I thought our response in the second half was terrific and it’s testament to the players after their exertions of the past fortnight that they managed to find the energy in the latter part of the game.

“We’ve had a really tough couple of weeks and have played a lot of games.

“But credit to the players and I’m really pleased to get the point, which was well deserved in the end.”

Raith player-boss Grant Murray admits the leveller was a sore one. He said: “It’s always disappointing when you lose a goal so late in a game.

“But
we knew it was going to be hard. Falkirk got into a Scottish Cup semi-final on Saturday. I’ve experienced that with Raith and they were obviously on a high.

“To get ourselves ahead put us in a good position so losing a goal so late just knocks everything out of you.”

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Ayr United 1 Brechin 2

STOPPER Graham Hay kept Brechin on course for the play-offs with a late headed winner to kill off a battling Ayr side.

Ewan Moyes had given the visitors an interval lead but Liam Buchanan equalised early in the second half.

Delighted Brechin boss Ray McKinnon said: “I’m really happy to get our two centre-halves on the scoresheet, both from set pieces. It’s something we had been asking them to do – to be a threat and attack the ball.”

But Ayr boss Mark Roberts was not so happy. He said: “We were by far the better team. How we have come away with nothing I don’t know. Now we have nine massive games to go – we are still there or thereabouts.”

Brechin
took the lead in 24 minutes. Andy Jackson’s header from a David McKenna
corner smashed off the bar and Moyes followed up to slam home the loose
ball.

Ayr started the second half well and their pressure paid off within five minutes. Michael Donald cut the ball back from the right and Buchanan drilled home despite the efforts of Paul McLean to clear off the line.

But
as Ayr chased the winner to keep their own play-off hopes alive, Hay dealt them a killer blow when he rose to glance a header from another McKenna corner into the net.

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Albion Rovers 4 Stenhousemuir 3

ROCK-BOTTOM Rovers survived a late Stenny surge to clinch a vital win and snap a nine-game losing streak.

Chris Dallas opened the scoring for the home side in the eighth minute before David Crawford curled home a terrific second.

Rovers
made it 3-0 early in the second half when Warriors' keeper Callum Reidford fumbled Alan Reid’s cross-shot into his own net.

The
visitors pulled a goal back almost immediately from the spot through John Gemmell after Reid fouled Sean Dickson in the area.

But Rovers made it 4-1 in 69 minutes through Scott Sally before Gemmell and Jamie Reid struck for Stenny.

Now nine points from safety, Rovers boss Todd Lumsden said: “Credit to the players for seeing the game out.”

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Elgin 3 Queen's Park 5

SEAN BURNS grabbed a double as Queen’s romped to an easy win but Elgin boss Ross Jack was raging after his team crashed to their fifth straight defeat.

Despite seeing his team pull three back in the later stages the Borough Briggs chief said: “I was angry with that.

“The players are not playing anything near to their capabilities. They were well below par once again.”

Burns put the visitors ahead on 12 minutes sidefooting home Lawrence Shankland’s pass. He returned the compliment two minutes later for Shankland to hit No.2.

On 32 minutes Blair Spittal hit the
post then smashed in the rebound and Michael Keenan made it 4-0 on 57 minutes. Burns added a fifth nine minutes later.

City got one back on 69 through sub Paul Millar before Craig Gunn and Brian Cameron made sure the home side finished on a high.

BERWICK’S Lee Currie went from villain to hero as he snatched a late winner.

The defender had missed a first-half penalty when his effort was saved by Albion keeper Sam Filler. But in the 87th-minute his free-kick from outside the box deflected off the wall and found the net past a wrong-footed Filler to end Stirling’s seven-game unbeaten run.

Berwick boss Ian Little said: “We haven’t always had the luck this season but tonight it was on our side.”